


Sleepless

by Abraham



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24371257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abraham/pseuds/Abraham
Summary: After a particularly disturbing case, Higgins has trouble sleeping and reluctantly turns to Magnum for help.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Comments: 17
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

The phone was ringing. Magnum rolled over, blindly feeling for it along the nightstand.  
“Hello,” he said, his voice rough with sleep.  
Silence.  
“Hello?” He squinted at the display. “Higgins?”

He heard a sigh, or maybe a sniffle, on the other end.  
“Higgy? Are you OK?”

“I’m sorry to have bothered you. I’ll just …”

“No. It’s OK. I’m awake. What’s wrong?”

There was another long pause before she answered, “I can’t sleep.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, yawning, as he settled back against the headboard.

It had been a rough day. They had spent the better part of a week following leads for a custody dispute case. It had ended badly. They found the 2-year-old, but it had been too late. Higgins had been the one to find the body. She was silent on the ride back to Robin’s Nest and had refused Magnum’s offer for a drink.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not particularly,” she said.

“Oh-kay. So you called me in the middle of the night to chat about baseball? You do know me! I love baseball.”

She huffed. “Hardly,” she said, slapping the door she was leaning against for emphasis.

He sat up at the sound. “Wait. Are you outside my door?” he asked.

Silence. Then, “Perhaps?”

He flung off his covers and reached for a shirt. 

Sometimes she could be so aggravating. But then again, she had actually called him this time when she needed help. That was progress, right? “Why didn’t you say so? Meet me in the kitchen.”

She was sitting at the table when he came down.

“I have the perfect remedy for sleeplessness,” he said, opening the refrigerator. “Mama Magnum’s secret sleep recipe.”

“Mama Magnum had a secret sleep recipe?”

“Of course,” Magnum said. “After my dad died, I may have had a couple nights of sleeplessness too.”

Higgins smiled softly and looked down at the table. Magnum hardly ever talked about his mom and even less about his dad.

“You see, the key is the milk in the cocoa. Not water. You heat the milk on the stove.” He stirred it slowly to demonstrate. He reached over her for mugs and filled them, stirring in the cocoa.

“Come on,” he said, nudging her shoulder with his as he walked by on his way to the living room.

She followed and sat down on the couch as he placed the two mugs in front of her.

“The next key ingredient is a super soft blanket.” He snagged the one lying across the back of the couch and tucked it around Higgin’s entire body like a cocoon.

“Magnum! I’m not a child,” she said.

“See it’s working already. You’re back to harassing me.”

Magnum sat down next to her and waited while she freed her arms and then handed her a mug. She sipped the hot cocoa and let the warm liquid fill her body. She had to admit, maybe Magnum’s mom did have a secret sleep recipe.

Or maybe it was the fact that the blanket smelled like Magnum and was tucked so snuggly around her that she instantly felt better.

Or maybe it was just Magnum himself. He had a way of making her feel safe and grounded.

“Tell me a story about little Magnum,” she said, sipping the cocoa.

“Oh no. I’m not sure you’re ready for all that cuteness,” he said.

She rolled her eyes and laughed, but leaned back against the cushions and moved slightly closer to him on the couch.

“When I was 9 years old, I decided I needed a pet,” he said.

“Let me guess. A dog was NOT at the top of that list.”

“Are you going to listen or what?”

“Sorry. Sorry. Please continue.”

“Anyway, we couldn’t really afford to have a pet, but I thought maybe a fish or something simple, like a worm.”

“A worm?!” Higgins laughed out loud at him.

Magnum turned a wounded face toward her. “Yes a worm. Or Wormy as he was named.”

Higgins imagined a tiny Magnum holding his pet worm.

“The only problem was that I forgot to tell my mom about Wormy and how he was living in the bathroom sink. I think the people two towns over heard her scream. Let’s just say that hopefully Wormy was able to swim himself out of that sink drain.”

“I’m sure he did,” Higgins said smiling back at him.

They were both silent for a few moments. The warm blanket and the hot cocoa were working their magic. She yawned. He must have started to drift off too, because she startled him awake with her next question.

“Thomas? Do you want children?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s OK,” he said, shifting slightly and turning toward her. “You know, if you had asked me that a few years ago I would have said definitely yes. Twins!”

She laughed, picturing twin boys with chocolate brown eyes and long lashes looking up at her.

“But now. I’m not so sure.”

He paused lost in his thoughts. 

“What about you? Do you want kids? I can already see a tiny little Higgins brainiac.”

She ignored that.

“I don’t know anymore,” she said. “I mean, after today. Today was awful. How can someone hurt their own child? Do I really want to bring up a child in this world?”

He reached toward her grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly.

“Today sucked Higgy. But there was so much more to that family’s story than we knew. I don’t think you should base your final decision on today.”

She looked down, studying their hands and sighed.

“Why is this world so messed up?” She leaned her head back against the couch.

“I don’t know.”

They were both silent again. This time she let her eyes drift shut, promising herself she would just stay for another minute. But she was so warm and felt so safe with Magnum’s hand holding tight to hers that she fell fast asleep.

Magnum looked down at Higgins.

Maybe he had been thinking more about the future lately. Maybe that had something to do with the woman wrapped in a blanket on his couch. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to think about some of those long-ago dreams.

He stretched out on the couch and pulled Higgins, blanket and all, against him.

She sighed and settled more fully into his side.

“Thank you Thomas,” she whispered.

His arm tightened around her.

“Good night Juliet.”


	2. The other brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Higgins reluctantly agrees to help Magnum continue working the case they thought was finished.

Magnum sensed the instant Higgins’ eyes popped open.

He had been awake for the past 30 minutes and knew she’d be in full-on panic mode when she realized she had let her guard down for an entire night. He wasn’t going to embarrass her, but he certainly didn’t have to make it easy for her either. Pretending to still be asleep, he nestled more closely to her, slinging his other arm across her stomach and sighing.

She had been having the most wonderful dream until she realized it wasn’t a dream at all. She really was wrapped up in a blanket, curled into Magnum’s side. It was the best night of sleep she had had since … Well, she couldn’t really remember when. It had been awhile.

But now. This was awkward. She couldn’t really tell him any of that. She had to somehow extract herself from under his arm and get out of the guesthouse before he woke up. She slowly eased herself up, testing the waters.

He mumbled in his sleep, tightening his arm around her and turning more toward her.

Oh this was bad. She blinked up at the ceiling.

OK. It was now or never. She slid down the couch, out from under his arms until she landed awkwardly on the floor. She froze for a full minute waiting to see if Magnum would move, but he didn’t. She practically ran out of the guesthouse toward the main house and right into Kumu.

“Kumu! Hi. What are you doing here so early?” Higgins said unusually cheery for so early in the morning.

“Hi Juliet. The exterminators are coming for a follow up appointment and I needed to let them in,” Kumu said. “You’re up awfully early too.”

“I just went running and now I’m running late for, for that thing I’m doing.” She could hear herself babbling, but couldn’t seem to stop.

Kumu frowned looking down at Juliet’s “running” clothes.

“See you later!” Higgins said, rushing away.

Not 30 minutes later, Kumu was in the kitchen with Higgins when Magnum walked in. 

“Higgy. Do you want to go running?” 

“Sure,” she said without thinking.

Kumu look over at her. “But didn’t you already …” 

Higgins’ eyes widened as she rushed Magnum toward the door. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

Smiling to herself, Kumu watched the two of them head out toward the beach. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Higgins had definitely needed that run. It helped to clear her head and erase the awkwardness she was feeling after last night. Of course, the awkwardness was only on her part. She envied that about Magnum. How content he was to just live in the moment.

They walked along the water’s edge after their cool down.

“The grandfather of the little boy left me a message.”

Higgins looked up quickly.

“He wanted to thank us for finding Brian.”

Had that only been yesterday? It seemed like a lifetime ago. She didn’t say anything. 

“He asked if we could look into something for him.”

“Look into something. What?”

“He wants us to find out what happened to Charlie. Brian’s brother.”

Magnum rushed on. “I really feel like I need to do this. But I totally understand if you want to sit this one out.”

She watched the water lap against the sand. It was going to be a beautiful day.

She turned toward Magnum and looked up at him, studying his kind face. He really would do anything for anyone.

“I suppose we should see this through to the end,” she said.

“Are you sure?”

“No, but that’s hardly stopped me before.”

They planned to meet the grandfather, Michael, at his daughter’s house. Beth had custody of Matthew, Brian’s other brother.

“Thank you for coming,” Beth said, showing them in. Her father was waiting for them in the living room. Matthew ran up to see who the visitors were. “Matty, why don’t you find Uncle John and see if he wants to play catch?”

“Yes!” Matty said, running toward the backyard.

“He doesn’t really understand what’s going on. He knows Brian is gone, but he’s 6 so he’s not really sure what that even means. I’m having a hard enough time understanding it.”

She paused for a minute. “I’ve had custody of both Brian and Matthew for the past two years. We thought their mom, my sister, was making progress. She’d been taking parenting classes and coming to visit the boys on the weekends. We were working up to them being able to have a sleepover at her apartment.”

Magnum glanced over at Higgins.  
“We know that she took Brian that day.”

“Yes, she was supposed to take him for ice cream and bring him back in two hours, according to the new visitation agreement. I had a bad feeling all day. I wish I hadn’t let him go,” she paused to wipe at the tears in her eyes. “The only reason Matthew wasn’t with them is because he a touch of the stomach flu.”

Her dad stood up and walked out of the room. Beth watched him go out to the backyard where Matty and John were playing catch.

“My dad is having a really hard time with this. He feels it was his fault that this all happened. He thinks that if he had tried to get Mel help sooner, things would be different. He wants to find Charlie.”

“You didn’t have custody of Charlie?” Magnum asked. 

“Charlie was Mel’s first son. He would be 8 now. Mel didn’t live around here when she had Charlie. She only moved back when Matthew was born. When Matty was 1, um Charlie would have been about 3, she said Charlie’s dad came and picked him up. We never saw him again. I tried asking her over the years who Charlie’s dad was, how he was doing, if Matty and Brian could meet him, but she always gave us vague answers.”

“There’s not a lot for us to go on,” Magnum said. “Especially if you’re not even sure who his father is. Did all three boys have different father’s?”

“Yes. As far as I know. Matthew’s father is John for all practical purposes. His biological father died of a drug overdose. And well, you know what happened with Brian’s dad.”

Magnum and Higgins talked with her for little bit more and then left, promising to do their best. Their first stop was Melinie’s apartment. 

“What a depressing existence,” Higgins said, as they searched through the cabinets in the cramped apartment. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, she had three beautiful sons and apparently a supportive father and sister, yet she chose to follow losers like Brian’s dad. She chose herself over her boys. What kind of mother does that?”

Magnum paused, glancing over at her. He sensed Higgins was fighting demons of her own. 

“Don’t get all psycho-analytical on me Magnum.”

Sometimes it scared him how easily she could see what he was thinking.

“I’m simply talking about Melinie,” she said. Then paused. “Even if maybe it does somewhat remind me of my own situation growing up,” she added softly.

He didn’t say anything, but studied her for a minute before going back to the stack of photos he was searching through.

“Hey. Look at this.” He held up a photograph from a stack he had pulled out of a drawer. “Looks like it might be Melinie and someone who could be Charlie’s dad. I’m just guessing on the timeframe.”

“Let’s take the photographs with us. Maybe I can run them through facial rec.”

Hours later, after scanning multiple photographs, they had narrowed their search down to three possible candidates. One lived on the mainland so he was a definite last resort. The other two they planned to check out in the morning.

“Let’s order take out,” Magnum said standing up and stretching. I’m starving and I don’t feel like cooking. I’m going to grab a shower. Think about what you want and meet me at my place in half an hour.”

Later, he came downstairs and found her wrapped in his blanket again, and asleep on his couch. Her computer was next to her on the coffee table.

“Ah Higgins. So you can’t sleep without me anymore.”

She, of course, fast asleep, didn’t respond. 

He grabbed a quick sandwich and settled into the chair near her with the TV down low.

It was a good thing she couldn’t read his mind now because he was pretty sure it would terrify her. Honestly, if he had to admit it, these thoughts kind of terrified him too. It had been awhile since he had felt so strongly about taking care of someone. 

And there was no way Juliet Higgins was ready to hear that.


	3. An ending, or maybe a beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnum and Higgins figure out what happened to Charlie. They may also figure a few other things out along the way.

“Magnum?” Her voice sounded tinny through the earpiece.

“Yes. I’m right here Higgins. You can do this.”

Higgins was currently locked in Melinie’s apartment with Charlie’s dad and Matthew. 

They had actually found Charlie’s dad a couple days ago and at first thought he was a good guy. Well. This current situation said otherwise.

“Higgy. HPD is right outside. You just tell us when you need us.”

Katsumoto looked over at Magnum.

“You’re not going in there.” 

Two days earlier.

After a quick stop for breakfast burritos, they were on their way to check out the second possible dad on their list. The first man barely remembered Melinie and was sure they never had a son together.

“Honestly Magnum. I don’t know how you can eat that. And you’re dripping grease all over the car.”

“You deprived me of dinner last night. I had to cook!”

“You made a sandwich.”

“A very good sandwhich and I made one for you too. Come on. Try your burrito. You’ll love it!”

Higgins bit back a smile and tried the burrito.

“You like it,” Magnum said.

“How do you know that? I’ve hardly swallowed a bite yet!”

He grinned as he drove, following the highway to a town near the North Shore. It was a bright, cloudless day and the way the sun was hitting the water it looked like thousands of tiny diamonds sparkling on top of the ocean.

Lucky contestant number two turned out to be Charlie’s dad. Theo Waters worked as a mechanic and had not heard from Melinie since Charlie was a baby. 

“I tried to send money at first,” he said. “I don’t think Charlie saw a dime. I even tried to visit him regularly, but then she just cut me off.”

“Did you talk to the authorities?” Higgins asked.

“Nah. I didn’t have the best track record back then and I didn’t think they would take me seriously. How is Charlie? What is he, 8 now?”

“I think he would be about 8,” Magnum said. “The thing is, no one has seen him since he was about 3. Melinie said he went to live with you.”

“Me? She always was crazy! Is anyone looking for him?”

Magnum shared a look with Higgins.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “We’re just not sure where he is at the moment.”

“Did you ask Melinie? What does she have to say?”

“Melinie died last week,” Magnum said. “She and her ex-boyfriend and her 2-year-old son Brian all died in a … an accident.”

Higgins nodded in agreement.

“Brian’s grandfather, Melinie’s father, asked us to look into Charlie’s disappearance,” Magnum said.

“It took him long enough. What, was this Brian kid a replacement so he didn’t need Charlie? But now that Brian’s gone he’s interested in Charlie again?”

Theo slumped down on the front step of his shop.

Magnum put his hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry man. We’ll do whatever we can to find Charlie. He has another brother. Matthew. He’s 6 now. He lives with Melinie’s sister.”

Magnum and Higgins spent the rest of the day chasing down dead ends. They had exhausted their computer search and begged favors from Katsumoto until he no longer answered the phone.

A break in the case had finally come when one of Melinie’s elderly neighbors remembered Charlie. She couldn’t remember exactly when she had seen him last, but at least gave them a time frame. Melinie, it seemed, had been dating the apartment manager at the time. The complex added a pool right around the time Charlie moved away, the neighbor said.

“I remember thinking at the time that it was such a shame he moved because he really would have enjoyed swimming.”

As Magnum and Higgins walked back to the car, they both looked over toward the pool.

“You don’t think …” Higgins said.

Magnum just shook his head.

Luckily, Noelani in the Coroner’s office was still answering their calls and agreed to come out first thing in the morning with her infrared camera. They also left a message for Katsumoto about their suspicions.

“So, this will be able to tell us if there’s a body under the pool?” Magnum asked the next morning when they met at the apartment complex.

“Infrared camera technology is amazing,” Noelani said. “It detects what the human eye cannot see. Sorry. I get a little excited about this stuff.”

Three hours later they had their answer. There definitely was a body buried near the pool. Whether or not it was Charlie remained to be seen.

Magnum called Theo to tell him about the developments.

“It went to voicemail,” he said, leaving a message. 

Higgins rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“You OK?” Magnum asked.

“I’m fine. I just have a weird feeling about this.”

Her weird feeling was right on target and they found that out when Magnum’s phone rang.

“It’s Brian’s grandfather,” he said, answering and then listening intently. Higgins could hear yelling.

“Theo took Matthew.”

“What?”

“He came over ranting about Charlie and how he deserved his son back. When Beth went to get John, Theo grabbed Matthew.”

Higgins and Magnum were already jogging toward the car.

“He’s holed up in the neighbor’s house. They aren’t home. He just broke in.”

By the time they arrived, HPD was surrounding the structure.

“One suspect with a 6-year-old boy,” Katsumoto said. “We’re waiting to hear his demands.”

Those demands soon involved Higgins volunteering to take some food into the house. And since Theo remembered her, he agreed to let her come in.

Magnum pulled her off to the side.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said.

“I do. I owe this to Brian.”

“Juliet! That wasn’t your fault.”

“I was too late to do anything last time. Maybe this time will be different.”

Magnum rubbed his hand over his face, sighing. He looked over at her.

“I can do this,” she said.

“I know you can. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Katsumoto handed her an earpiece. “Put this in. You’ll be able to hear us and we can hear you. I’ll make the call to tell him you’re coming in.”

“Higgins!” Magnum grabbed her hand, searching her eyes.

She squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile.

He nodded, squeezed her hand back, and let go.

“I’m ready,” she told Katsumoto.

Things could have gone better. Theo was extremely agitated which made Matthew more upset. He yelled at Higgins to shut the kid up or he’d do it for her. She gathered Matthew against her and tucked them both into a far corner. 

“Shhhh. It’s going to be OK. We’ve got lots of people to help us.”

Magnum strained to hear what Higgins was saying over his earpiece.

She was whispering and it was hard to hear her completely.

“Magnum?” she said. 

“I’m here.”

“Theo’s really angry. It’s just that, if this doesn’t turn out right. I wanted to tell you …”

Magnum interrupted her. There was no way she wasn’t coming home tonight. And there was no way she was going to finally tell him how she felt with Katsumoto and the entire HPD listening. 

“Higgins. You can tell me when we get home.”

“Thomas!”

“It’s OK. I know,” he said softly.

She sighed. “OK. Good.”

“Just, just be careful!”

There was yelling in the background. But he couldn’t make out anything.

“I have to go,” she said. “Make sure to always park the Ferrari on the right side of the car park. Not the left!”

And then there was more yelling and Juliet wouldn’t answer him.

“What was that about?” Katsumoto asked. “Why was she talking about parking the Ferrari now.”

“I don’t know. I always park in her spot and she gets so mad because my side is usually empty … Wait! She’s trying to tell me something. We can breach on the right side of the house. They must be in that spare bedroom on the left,” he said pointing to the architectural plans for the house.

Thomas was sure his heart stopped when he heard the first shot. He forgot the plan and any type of proper procedure and would have raced unarmed into the house if TC hadn’t grabbed him at the last second, pulling him back behind the van. 

“What are you doing man? You can’t go in there. You don’t even have a vest on.”

“I’ve got to get in there. What if Higgins is hurt.”

TC looked to Rick for help.

“Thomas. Let SWAT do their job. Besides, do you really think Higgins wants you to go busting in there to save the day?”

More shots came from the house. This time aimed at the police. HPD returned fire and an officer was hit. Thomas couldn’t get Juliet to answer him and the smoke from smoke grenades filled the air so it was almost impossible to see anything.

The shooting stopped and very faintly over the coms they could hear Higgins.

“Hold your fire,” Katsumoto yelled.

And then she emerged through the smoke carrying the 6-year-old who was sobbing. His aunt and uncle rushed through the police barricade to grab him, holding him between them.

Higgins handed Katsumoto the kidnapper’s gun as she walked by. She didn’t stop. She just kept walking straight toward Thomas until she bumped into his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Surprised, he tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her. Rubbing one hand up and down her back, he whispered that she was safe. It was over. And she was amazing.

T.C. and Rick exchanged a look over Thomas’ head.

“Can we go home now?” Juliet whispered against his neck. 

Later that night, wrapped in “her” blanket, but in his bed this time and not on the couch, Higgins laid her head on his chest. He gently moved the hair off her forehead and brushed his lips against the bruise that was already an angry purple.

When he looked down at Higgins, he noticed tears running down her cheeks. 

“Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry.” He sat up to look closer at her bruise.

“No,” she said smiling at watery smile at him. “I was just thinking about what a kind man you are.”

Magnum huffed out a half laugh in relief. “Don’t let that get around.”

“It’s too late. Most people know already. That’s why you’re so good at your job.”

“OK, it really seems like you’re buttering me up for something. What do you want?” He asked as he settled back against the pillows again and pulled her closer to him.

“I want a baby.”

“What?”

“I mean, not right now. But remember how I said I couldn’t imagine bringing a child into this world? Well, when I was holding Matthew and he was depending completely on me, I realized that I wanted that. And, if a child’s parents show him what kindness really is and how to be a friend to everyone and to really listen to what other people are saying, then the child has to turn out alright? Right?”

“Right,” Magnum said, smiling down at her. He thought about that for a minute. What a crazy day it had been, but it had turned out even better than he could ever had imagined.

“I kind of thought I’d take you out on a real date first.”

Higgins huffed. “A real date! Do you mean like the burrito place?”

“Just you wait Juliet Higgins,” he said into her hair.

She smiled against his chest. And to be truthful, the burrito place was just fine with her.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief look into the future.

They were married six months later in the courthouse with just their closest friends. Kumu was maid of honor and, because Magnum couldn’t choose between Rick and T.C., they both served as best “men.”

And while many honeymooners choose a Hawaiian destination, Magnum and Higgins flew to Virginia to see Magnum’s hometown. Even though his family no longer lived there, he showed her all his favorite spots and the house he grew up in. She even agreed to multiple baseball games just because she knew how happy it would make him. And it did.

“I love you Higgins.”

“Technically it’s Magnum now.”

“Thank God you kept your name. It would be weird to say ‘I love you Magnum.”

“I’m pretty sure you do that enough already,” she said grinning. “You know, you could always call me Juliet.”

“Nope. It’s Higgy.”

Fast forward another year and they found themselves at the doctor’s office waiting to find out if they were bringing a little Higgins or a little Magnum into the world. 

It turned out to be twins.

“They’re boys,” Higgins said, remembering that long-ago image she had seen in her mind. 

Of course, she was right.

Later that night, after they had told their family about the twins, Higgins leaned against Magnum as they watched the sun melt into the water.

“I love the idea of Thomas Sullivan Magnum V, but that wouldn’t be fair to this other little guy,” Higgins said.

Thomas kissed the top of her head, his hand resting on her stomach.

“I was thinking about that too. We could name them after both of us. I’ve always liked the name Julian. What do you think about Julian Higgins Magnum?”

“I love it.”

Five months later, Jules and Sully entered the world.

With tears in his eyes, Magnum leaned over to kiss his wife as they each held a baby. 

Down the hall, the waiting room erupted in cheers when their friends heard the news. No matter what happened in the future, with their Ohana close by, those two boys would feel nothing but love.


End file.
